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Airline guide

KLM compensation

KLM's hub model means most disrupted trips involve a missed connection at Schiphol — and the delay that counts is at your final destination, not in Amsterdam.

Quick answer

KLM's hub model means most disrupted trips involve a missed connection at Schiphol — and the delay that counts is at your final destination, not in Amsterdam.

Airline
KLM
Main hub
Amsterdam Schiphol
Potential compensation
€250–€600 per passenger
Route coverage
EU departures; EU-airline arrivals

Does KLM have to pay?

KLM flies from EU and EEA airports, so EC Regulation 261/2004 applies to those departures regardless of where the flight is going. European feeder flights sit in the €250 band; onward long-haul from Amsterdam reaches €600. Most of those routes fall in the €250 band, with longer ones reaching €400.

What usually decides the claim

  • Schiphol capacity restrictions are not automatically extraordinary.
  • If the first leg made you miss a connection on the same booking, you claim on the full journey distance.
  • KLM sometimes offers miles instead of cash; you can decline and insist on the payment.
  • The Dutch ILT is the enforcement body for flights departing the Netherlands.

How to send your claim

KLM takes claims through its online EU261 form. It responds reasonably quickly, but a firm 14-day deadline in your letter still helps.

If they refuse

Airlines often reject a first claim with a one-line reference to extraordinary circumstances. Ask them to state the specific cause and the reasonable measures they took. If the answer is unconvincing or none arrives within 14 days, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure — for Amsterdam Schiphol-based flights that is the regulator of that state — or to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Common questions

I missed my connection in Amsterdam and arrived a day late. What is it worth?
Compensation is based on the distance from your first departure to your final destination — so a long-haul onward leg puts you in the €600 band.
KLM offered miles. Should I take them?
Only if the value clearly exceeds the cash amount. Accepting can be treated as settling the claim.
How long do I have to claim?
It depends on the country whose courts would hear the case: three years in Germany, five in Spain, six in the UK and Ireland, two in some others. Older flights are often still claimable, so it is worth asking.

Primary sources

Official guidance and legislation used to review this page.